Cotton-picking machine.



' P. P. HARING. COTTON PICKING MAGHINE.

APPLICATION TILED APR. 12, 1910. RENEWED MAR. 10, 1913.

Patented Oct. 21, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Jfgwi P. P. HAllING. COTTON PIGKING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 12, 1910. RENEWED MAR. 10, 1913.

Patented Oct. 21, 1913.

2 SHBETSSKEET 2.

rwanfozn- Peter Paul} Jfdring recognize.

Ilr

scalar nrrgn I rn'rnn PAUL IHARING, on'coman, TEXAS.

COTTON PICKIIN'G MACHINE.

- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 21, 1313.

Application filed Ap1'i112,'1910, Serial No. 655,050. Renewed Mardh 1-0, 19-13. Serial Nb. 753,422

91:) all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, PETER PAUL HARING,

a citizen of the United States, residing at,

Goliad, Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cotton-Picking 5 the following is a speci- 3 4 -i draw, cut action, instead of contacting Machines, of which ficwtien.

My invention relates co cotton pickers of the general form disclosed by me in applif; cationv for Letters Patent of the United States. filed February 26,1908, No. 417,986,";

my present invention being designed to increase the 'eficiency of the machine while presenting .a structure of simple character shown in F 1g. 3, that'ls to say, the picker and one inexpensive to make.

The invention consists in the features of construction and combination and arrangement of pants hereinafter descrihedand par- H Wardly toward the mglrt, while the picker ticularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side view of a portion of theinachine with parts in section and part'somitted; Fig.

1? is a View of a detail; Fig. 2, is a plan view of a port-ion of the machine with parts in; section and par-ts omitted; Fig. 3 is a side j View of several of the slats belonging to one side of the mach-inc with the picker armsg supported thereon"; Fig. 4 is a detail. View 1 of one of the links ofth-e supporting and operating chains, this vien being a side elevation; *ig. 5 is a view looking from the right of Fig. l.

The frame of the machine may be of any suitable form, being supported by carryii'lg Wheels 1 at the rear, the frame being shown as broken away at the front, and the fro t supporting and carrying wheels bein omitted The picker arms 2 carrying picker spindles, 3 are arranged upon slats 4, there being a series of these slats for each side of the machine, and constituting an elongated drum or end ass-carrier for the picker arms,

one of thesedrums being inc icat-ed generally at A for one side or 'the machine, and the other drum being indicated generally at .B for the other side of the machine, these drums being located on opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the-'Inachine and upon opposite sides of the space which receives the plants, as the machine is drawn forward, from which the cotton is to be picked by the picker spindles on the picker arms which project transversely of this central longitudinal space. The picker arms are arranged at different elevations, each of the slats carrying a series of said arms disposed vertically one above the other. The arms,

as shown in Fig. '2, are set at an inclination to the face of the slats so that they project or incline toward the front of the machine in order to better facilitate their entrance into the plant by what may be termed a with the plant, either point forward or a direction at right angles to the line of draft of the machine. These picker arms are ar slat being turned'i-nto an axial position diff'eren-t from those on the adjacent slat, as

arms on the slat at the left of 3 are turned and set in an axial position to present the picker spindles at an inclination inp- 1 arms on the next slat are turned and set in an. axial position so that their picker spin- I dl-es are inclined upwardly toward the left,

the purposef of this alternate inclination or axial position of the picker arms being to present the picker spindles in such position as to more fully cover the area of the plant. It will be further observed from Fig. 3 that the picker arms on the left hand slat are in a higher plane than those onthe adjacent slat at theright, or, in other Words, these I picker arms are staggered in relation to each other in a horizontal plane to more fully cover the surface of the plant. The slats which carry the picker arms are preferaloly formed of metal of channeled shape in cross section, and these channels receive cross bars 5 on the links 6 of the carrying and supporting chains, the slats being marked 4. The cross bars are at the lower part of the links of the upperchain, and at the upper part of the links of the lower v chain. adapted to have free vertical movementon these cross bars, and for supporting the slats vertically I provide rollers as at 8 journaled on brackets 9 extending inwardly from the channeled side of the slats, and heari ngsupon The slats of channeled form are tracks 10 and-11, there being a pair of these tracks for each side of the machine. These inclining downwardly, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1.

tracks have horizontal portions 12 at the 2, that thechains on opposite sides of the central longitudinal space converge toward each other from the front to a point midway of the endless drums or carriers, and from this central point the sprocket chains diverge to the rear. This arrangement causes the picker arms to gradually approach each other from opposite sides of the central space they move toward the rear, and from the time they strike the plant to the time that they arrive at the longitnd nal center of the machine they progressively enter the plant, and their converging move ment brings them into contact with a larger area of the plant than would be the case were the picker arms moved directly toward the rear in parallel planes.

The rollers 8 resting upon the tracks at 10 and 11 form the sole support vertically for the slats carrying the picker arms, and as these slats are carried from front to rear, one slat will be lifted gradually as the roller runs up the incline of the track, and thus the picker arms will he gradually raised to come into contact with the plant at different elevations, and at the same time the roller on the next following slat on this side of the machine Will move down the incline of its track to have a like effect in. contacting With different portions of the plant. In these actions, the slats simply move vertically on the cross pins or bars 5 of the chains. The picker spindles are rotated from shafts 18 extending longitudinally of the picker arms, and having, at their inner ends bevel gears 19 meshing with bevel gears 20 on vertical shafts 21 carried in bearings 22 supported by the vertical slats. The upper end of these shafts carry pinions- 23 meshing with. a rack. bar 24 suitably supported in fixed position Within the drum or carrier, as indicated at 25 in Fig. 1. This rack is of sufficient vertical extent to allow the pinion 23 to slide vertically in the vertical movement of the slat while maintaining its engagement therewith.

I show in dotted lines in Fig. l at 26 and 27 the inclined tracks for the "far side of the machine, those shown in full lines being for the near side of the machine, illus trated in Fig. 1. These tracks shown in dotted lines are borne upon by rollers similar to those above described for supthe same side of the machine. From the central point 13 the tracks incline lmclr to the same horizontal plane in which the front ends of the tracks lie, so that after passing the center, those slats which. have been moved upwardly will. again more downwardly into the same horizontal plane from which they started their vertical move ment, and those which moved downwardly in passing from the front will he returned upwardly. The arrangement is such in re spect to the picker arms, the supporting rollers and the inclined tracks that the picker arm on one side of the machine will slightly overlap at the other side of the machine, asshown in Fig, 53, 'ivlie opposing picker arrive midway their course to the rear,

For the picker spindles of successive slats, I arrange the gear connections that the piclrer spindles of one in turn in one direction, and those of .e next slat will turn in the opposite direction, and this arrangement of gearing illnetratcd at the right and left ends oi the drum shown in Fig. l, the gears on the vertical shaft in the one case meshing with the upper side of the gears on the shafts of the picker arms, while in. the next slat this arrangement or" gearing is reversed, the gear on the vertical shaft meshing Withthe lower portion of the gear on the shaft of the picker arm.

'The machine is driven from the rear carrying Wheels through sprocket Wheels and chains indicated at 28, 29 and 30, and I preferably use one of these sprocket chains for each side of the machine. The sprocket Wheels 29 are on a cross shaft 31, and suitable clutches may be employed by these sprocket wheels and the said shaft, so that if one carrying Wheel drives faster than the other, the faster movement will be communicated to the cross shaft 3i. This cross shaft is connected through bevel gearing 32, 33 with the vertical shafts 15 at the rear of the drums or carriers, and as this cross shaft connects one side of the machine with the other, both drums or car riers )Vlll be rotated in unison, so that the relation of the picker arms will be maintained at all times, no matter Whether the carrying Wheels are driving the connections at the same rate of speed or not.

I employ in this machine means for versing the rotation of the picker spindles for discharging the cotton after being alten from the plant, and for this purpose I v eaner/s provide a reversing rack similar, to that disclosedin the application above referred to, and indicated generally at 34, so that alter the pickerarm passesaround the drum at the rear, the gear wheel 23 of this piclier arm will engage the reversing rack, and the rotation of the picker spindles will be reversed to discharge the cotton. This reversing'rach extends from the rear forward to a point at about 35, and is of straight form. The main rack El -l is of angular form, as shown in plan view in Fig. 2,-to follow the angular course of the slats in passing by the central sprocket.

" Any one 015- the slats may be readily removed by lifting it up so that its lower end will clear the cross bar 5 on the lower chain. The slat may then be tilted outwardl at its lower end, and lowered to disenga e rrom slats, said slats being mounted ror'vcrtical movement on said chains, upper and lower chains for drivin the slats, and cam tracks for giving the s ats vertical movement in relation to the chains, said chains moving throughout their course in horizontal planes, substantially as described.

2. In combination in a machine of the class described, an endless drum composed of vertically movable slats bearing cotton picker arms, and means for giving one slat an upward and downward movement and the succeedingslat a reverse movement, substantially.- as described.

In combination in a machine of the class described, apair of endless drums composed of vertically movable slats with picker arms thereon, and means for giving theslats of one drum an upward and downward movement, and for giving the opposing slats of. the other drum a reverse vertical movement, substantially as described.

i. In combination in a machine of the class described, a pairof-drums arranged on oppos te sides of the longitudinal center of the machine, means for giving certain of the slats of one drum an upward and downward movement as they pass toward the rear, and for giving the other slats of said drum a reverse vertical movement, and means for giving vertical movements to the opposing slatsof the other drum in a reverse direction to those of the first drum, substantially as described;

5. In conibination'in a machine of the class described, carrying chalns, slats movable vertically in relation to and connected with the said, carrying chains, means for giving the "said slats theirvertical movements, picker fingers carried bythe slats and means for rotating the picker fingers as the slats are moved in relation to the chains, substantially as described.

6. In combination in a machine of the class described, carrying chains, a slat movable vertically thereon, picker arms carried by the slat, a roller connected with the slat, a track inclining. one Way to an intermediate point in the rearward travel of the carrying chains, and thence inclining the other way to the rear to cause the slat to rise and fall While the picker arm is moving from frontto rear in en agement with the cotton'plant, picker spin les on the picker arms, and

means for rotating the picker spindles as the slats are moved inrelation to the chains, substantially as described.

7. In combination in a. machine of the class described, a carrying chain having cross bars on its links, said chain moving in a horizontal plane, vertically movable slats engaging the cross bars, picker arms on the slats, and means for moving the slats verti cally on the cross bars, substantially as described.

8. In combination in a machine of the class described, a drum having carrying chains with cross bars on the links thereof,

said chains moving ina horizontal plane, vertically movable slats of channeled form engaging the said cross bars, and means for 1 moving the slats vertically, substantially as described. 1/

9-. In combination an u per and a lower chain, a series of vertica 1y movable slats having picker arms extending horizontally therefrom and mounted thereon, projections on" said chains with which the slats have sliding contact, said slats bein removable from the said chains, substantially as described.- i

10. In combination an upper and a lower carrier, a series of slats, projections onsaid carriers with which the slats engage slidably, said slats having an opening at the'top V and bottom for the passage of the projection in placing or removing the slat, substantially as described.

11. In combination an upper and a lower chain havingprojections, a series of vertically movable slats channeled throughout their vertical extent and engaging the said projections, and removable therefrom by a vertical movement of the slats in relation to the said projections, substantially, as de scribed.

l2. In combination in a cotton picking machine, a series of slats carrying picker devices, carrier. means for the slats, a detachable connebtion between the slats and carrier means consisting of a projection on one and a recess on the other slidably receiving said projection, said slats being detachable from the carriers by sliding them vertically in relation to the carrier means, substantially as described.

13. In combination in a cotton picking machine, a series of slat-s carrying picker the weight of the slats, to ther with the picker arms and gearing, o of the carriers, said slats having a vertical slidin connection with the carriers, substantial y as described.

15. In combination in a cotton picker mgchine, a seiies of slats, .picker arms, anda. v

shaft and gearing carried by the slats, a chain for driving the slats, said slats having and a track, within the circuit of the slats with projections on the slats resting on the track to take the wei ht ofi of the chain, substantially as descri d.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PETER PAUL HARING. Witnesses:

L. J. LUTENBAGHER, J. C. BURNS.

30 a vertical sliding connection with the chain, 7 

